According to a new report from App Store analytics firm Distimo (via The Next Web), Apple's App Store once again experienced a great spike in interest on Christmas day, with revenue increasing by 56 percent and the number of total downloads rising by 53 percent.

The firm tied the increase in downloads and revenue to interest from Western countries on Christmas day, and also credits developers such as Rovio Entertainment and ZeptoLab strategically releasing their titles just before Christmas to maximize product interest and profit potential.

appstore_christmasday13

Main contributors to this year’s Christmas spike were Western countries. For example: download volume in the United Kingdom increased by 161 percent on Christmas day. In addition, revenues in United States almost doubled with a plus of 97 percent in the Apple App Store. In the large Asian app markets like Japan and Korea this trend was hardly visible.

However, while the figures show strong App Store numbers on Christmas day this year, the report also notes that the percentages in 2013 are lower compared to the past two years. On Christmas day 2011, Distimo stated that there was a threefold growth in download volume compared to an average day in December, which was followed by near double download growth a year later.

Other notable Christmas 2013 findings from the firm include data showing that the increase in paid downloads was greater than that of free downloads, and that the growth of revenue from in-app purchases was less than that of the growth in revenue from apps charging a one-time fee.

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
148 months ago
Yeah, but it looks like the scariest part of a roller coaster…

Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djtech42 Avatar
148 months ago
I love this statement because I really hate IAPs:

Hopefully developers who have been ripping people off with IAPs will learn their lesson.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
148 months ago
Damn what sort of animation is that, HTML5 based? Because I can see it on my iphone :P
Ha - no, it's a gif. WebKit's implementation of CSS-3 allows you to animate pngs, and Firefox supports apngs... AFAIK, there's no newer way of doing sprite animations on IE, and I don't know of any HTML5 technologies that let you do sprite animations (granted, nearly all of my web programming experience is with JS/JQ, not HTML or CSS.)

I'd actually consider an iTunes gift card a lame Christmas present. Too sterile. A sweater or something would be nicer.
I disagree. Gift cards are very nice. I'm $20K in debt right now. I need money more than anything else. But asking for money is no fun. Your thank you card would look something like, "Thank you for the $100. I'm now only $19.9K in debt." With gift cards though, you can say, "I used the $100 Cheesecake Factory gift card to take my fiancé out on our anniversary - without you, we would have had ramen noodles for dinner."

I also got $100 towards Macy's. We used it to buy stuff off our registry. $25 towards iTunes - we'll buy music for the reception.

A sweater? I have a relative who knits things for everyone ever year. Don't get me wrong - I wear the mittens all the time, but I definitely prefer my North Face to any sweater she could knit.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Michael Scrip Avatar
148 months ago


The good news: Apple China pre-sold 100,000 iPhone's in 2 days since being available.

The bad news: This Chinese carrier has over 763 millon subscribers.

It's a long play. It's not like Apple will be selling iPhones on China Mobile for a couple weeks and then disappear.

No... Apple will be selling iPhones on China Mobile for the foreseeable future.

People seem to forget that the iPhone has been available on 2 major Chinese carriers for the last 4 years. Why would adding the 3rd major carrier ever be considered a bad thing?

I also remember hearing "if someone hasn't gotten an iPhone already... being on China Mobile won't persuade them"

Well with 100,000 pre-orders in the first 2 days on China Mobile... clearly there were some people who were interested. Do you think those are the only people EVER who will buy an iPhone on China Mobile? Of course not. Again... it's a long play.

Besides... these were pre-orders that you could only reserve online or by calling a hotline.

Let's see what happens when the iPhone is officially available on China Mobile January 17th.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lionel Messi Avatar
148 months ago
I love this statement because I really hate IAPs:
Other notable Christmas 2013 findings from the firm include data showing that the increase in paid downloads was greater than that of free downloads, and that the growth of revenue from in-app purchases was less than that of the growth in revenue from apps charging a one-time fee.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gnasher729 Avatar
148 months ago
I'd actually consider an iTunes gift card a lame Christmas present. Too sterile. A sweater or something would be nicer.

Excuse me, but I prefer to buy my own clothing. When I get an iTunes gift card, I can use it to get exactly what I want. For the right person, it is the perfect gift.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.5 With New Wallpaper, Screen Time Changes, Carrier Satellite Support for iPhone 13 and More

Monday May 12, 2025 10:06 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5, the fifth updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 come a little over a month after Apple released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. The iOS 18.5 update has a...
tvOS 18 Feature

Apple Releases tvOS 18.5

Monday May 12, 2025 10:01 am PDT by
Apple today released tvOS 18.5, the latest version of the tvOS operating system. tvOS 18.5 comes a little over a month after the launch of tvOS 18.4, and it is available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models. tvOS 18.5 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software. ‌Apple TV‌ owners who have...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

WSJ: Apple Weighing Price Hikes for iPhone 17 Lineup Without Blaming Tariffs

Monday May 12, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
Apple is considering raising prices for its upcoming iPhone 17 models set to release this fall, according to people familiar with the matter cited by The Wall Street Journal. The company reportedly aims to pair the potential price hikes with new features and design changes to justify the increased cost to consumers, rather than attributing them to U.S. tariffs on goods from China. The...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Expected This Week With These New Features

Monday May 12, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple is expected to release iOS 18.5 to the general public this week. While the software update is relatively minor, it still includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones. Below, we recap everything new in iOS 18.5. Pride Wallpaper Apple recently announced its 2025 Pride Collection, including a new Apple Watch band, watch face,...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.5

Monday May 12, 2025 10:10 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.5, the fifth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched last September. macOS Sequoia 15.5 comes a little over a month after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.4. Mac users can download the ‌‌‌macOS Sequoia 15.5‌‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run ...
Mayday Calendar

Apple Acquisition Hints at Upgraded Calendar App on iOS 19 or Beyond

Friday May 9, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Apple acquired Canadian startup Mayday Labs in April 2024, according to a European Commission listing, spotted by French blog MacGeneration. The acquisition had not received widespread attention from tech publications until now. Apple is legally required to report certain acquisitions to the European Commission, under the terms of the EU's Digital Markets Act. Mayday Labs founder Jeremy...
top stories 2025 05 10

Top Stories: iOS 18.5 Release Imminent, iPhone Rumors for 2025 and Beyond, and More

Saturday May 10, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
With Apple's developer conference where it will show off iOS 19 just a month away, the company is wrapping up work on iOS 18.5 ahead of an imminent release to deliver a few new features and updates. This week also saw a number of iPhone-related rumors, encompassing not only this year's iPhone 17 lineup but also Apple's plans for 2026 and 2027, even as Apple's Eddy Cue suggested AI could make ...